The rear of the skull is large and protruding. As a result, when the head is placed in the supine position on a conventional pillow the neck is often not adequately supported. Specifically, the neck remains somewhat elevated relative to the back of the skull and, as a result, the cervical region tends to sag.
Attempts to address this problem have most often taken the form of a cylindrical or tubular padding or pillow which generally mates with and supports the back of the neck while allowing the prominent portion of the skull to sink into the pillow or mattress. Although such devices may provide some relief in the back reclined or supine position they do not perform quite so well when the head is turned to the left or right. This is because the head does not protrude nearly as much from the neck on the sides as it does in the back. Accordingly, as the head is turned to one side the support provided to the side of the neck by the roll or tubular padding is not needed to prevent the neck from sagging and, in fact, causes the head to sag, thereby causing further discomfort.